


A Helluva Time

by Ignis_Sassentia



Series: FFXV Week 2017 [5]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, Sappy Fluff, Tumblr: ffxvweek, World of Ruin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-19
Updated: 2017-08-19
Packaged: 2018-12-17 12:05:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11851230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ignis_Sassentia/pseuds/Ignis_Sassentia
Summary: Prompto and Gladio reconnect during the World of Ruin. Written for FFXV Week.





	A Helluva Time

**Author's Note:**

> Written for FFXV Prompt: "World of Ruin."

Prompto checked another day off the calendar on his phone. It had been six years since Noctis had disappeared into the crystal. Six long, dark, awful years. 

The runes of the Haven glowed blue in the never-ending night, somehow still managing to keep the daemons at bay. The fire Gladio had made crackled happily, just like it had before everything went to shit. 

At least Gladio had agreed to come on this hunt, Prompto told himself as he pocketed his phone. At least he wasn’t alone this time. And, for as awkward and strained as things had been for the last six years, he was still grateful for time with his boyfriend. 

Were they still boyfriends if they barely saw each other any more? Did it still count if they only spent time together on hunts or when Gladio came to Lestallum to help look after Ignis for a while? They didn’t stay up till well past midnight playing cards any more and the  _ King’s Knight _ servers had been down for ages, so they couldn’t play that, either. When was the last time they’d had a conversation about something other than daemon hunting? 

“Hey,” Gladio’s rough voice muttered as he dropped down in the empty camp chair beside Prompto, offering a steaming styrofoam cup of noodles. “You okay?” 

“Huh? Oh, yeah. Just thinking.” Prompto threw Gladio one of his patented brilliant smiles and shifted into a more comfortable position as he blew on his noodles to cool them down a little. 

Gladio’s camp chair groaned as he leaned back, turning his gaze up to the black sky. “Can’t believe it’s been six years.” 

“Yeah,” Prompto whispered. Six years without Noct. Without sunlight. It felt like a lifetime. “He’s coming back, though. He’s got to.” 

Gladio didn’t respond. He wolfed down his cup noodles and dropped the empty cup in the trash bag hanging from the arm of his chair. 

Prompto couldn’t help but remember camping at this Haven so long ago, before everything had gone wrong. Gladio had been so happy then, laughing and teasing with them, helping Prompto and Noctis train, making sure camp was set up and torn down properly. Prompto missed his smile. Missed his laughter. Hell, Prompto missed a lot. 

But it wasn’t like they could go back in time. 

“Hey, Prompto?” Gladio’s voice was soft this time, and it broke on Prompto’s name. He cleared his throat and shifted in his chair again. “Look. I know it’s been a helluva time, but do you think maybe you’d…” 

Prompto glanced at him and smiled brightly at the familiar, awkward invitation. He set his half-eaten noodles aside and bounced out of his chair, closing the distance between them in two steps. The camp chair probably wasn’t rated to hold two full-grown men, but he didn’t particularly care as he plopped gracelessly into Gladio’s lap and wrapped his arms around the big man’s neck. He rested his head against Gladio’s shoulder and closed his eyes, letting himself focus on the feeling of his boyfriend’s pulse against his forehead. 

Gladio’s tense muscles slowly relaxed as those big, tattooed arms closed around Prompto’s slight frame. He nuzzled into Prompto’s hair and sighed. “Missed this.” 

“Me, too,” Prompto whispered. Gladio’s warm, solid embrace was probably the most comforting thing Prompto had ever felt, and going months without it was driving him crazy. “Gladio?” 

“Yeah?” 

“Don’t stay away so long this time,” Prompto ordered, though his voice was soft and sleepy. “Please?” 

Gladio hummed quietly in agreement. After a moment, he pried one hand away to gently take Prompto’s chin and tip his head back. 

Both of them had chapped lips and new scars, but the kiss still felt as perfect as it had in memories. Prompto never wanted it to end. In the warmth of Gladio’s lips, the gentle brush of his tongue, the ever-so-slight tug at his hair, Prompto could pretend that the sun would rise again tomorrow and Noctis was back and Ignis could see again and… 

“Don’t leave,” he whispered against Gladio’s lips when the kiss finally broke. “Not again.” 

“Still have to finish the hunt first,” Gladio murmured. He kissed the corner of Prompto’s mouth, then along his jaw. 

Prompto tried not to remember the times when Gladio would kiss all along his freckles. The freckles that had long since started to fade. Instead, he focused on the fact that Gladio hadn’t actually agreed not to go. “You don’t want to come back to Lestallum with me?” 

“Gonna check in at Hammerhead. Just in case.” Gladio had reached Prompto’s ear and nibbled gingerly on his earlobe in the way that always made Prompto shiver. 

It took Prompto a second to regain his voice. “I-I’ll come with you. Been a while since I’ve seen Cindy anyway…” 

Gladio snorted quietly and gave Prompto’s earlobe one last nip before pulling away. “You’re thinking about Cindy right now?” 

_ "You’re _ the one who didn’t want to come with me,” Prompto pointed out, poking his boyfriend hard in the chest. “Besides, I’ve got some parts to deliver for whatever she’s working on now. It’s not like I’m going because I’ve still got a crush on her.” 

“Better not,” Gladio growled playfully and swooped in for another kiss. 

Prompto had meant to protest that if Gladio didn’t want him thinking about other people, he should do a better job of sticking around, but by the time Gladio let him up for air, he couldn’t exactly think straight. 

At least he’d figured out where they stood with that kiss. In more ways than one. And at least for the next few hours, he could forget the dark world around them and just bask in the light Gladio lit inside him. 

It was always a blessing to be able to escape the world of ruin for a while and remind himself that, whatever else was happening, at least they were still alive. 


End file.
